Increasing the Effort Needed for Crime

The following responses may assist to reduce the incidence and severity of crimes against passengers by increasing the effort needed by offenders. Making crimes more difficult to commit may also increase the perceived risks involved.

• Reducing crowding. The thoughtful design and management of facilities and vehicles can minimise the crowding and jostling between passengers that facilitate thefts and indecent assaults, and provoke assaults. Measures to reduce crowding and jostling include:

• designing walkways and escalators to deposit passengers at more than one part of the platform;

• increasing the size of passenger waiting areas or moving them to areas with greater space;

• increasing the number of services;

• limiting the number of passengers entering stations or the number of passengers boarding vehicles; and

• discount pricing for travel in off-peak hours.

• Separating waiting passengers from other members of the public. Separating waiting passengers from other members of the public (e.g. by installing shelters or barriers) makes it more difficult for potential thieves to sneak up on passengers. With shelters or barriers installed, thieves will need to overtly enter the passenger area, which will increase passenger awareness and make it more difficult for offenders to escape. To be effective these barriers need to accommodate all waiting passengers. Barriers or shelters may also be designed to encourage a queuing system for passengers, which may limit disputes related to boarding.
  

• Encouraging passengers to protect valuables. Warning passengers about potential thieves and encouraging them to protect their valuables may increase the difficulty of thefts. Warnings can be delivered through public address announcements or service information dot-matrix displays and posters. However, these warnings may increase passengers’ fear of crime.
  

• Create separate areas for female passengers. Providing separate areas for females on public transport may help reduce the number of indecent assaults. This response may only be feasible where indecent assaults are highly concentrated at specific times and locations.

 

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